Flirt with summer's flitting hummingbirds

Saturday

Jul 6, 2013 at 12:01 AM

A cool, wet spring in many parts of the country delayed the arrival of hummingbirds, but you can be sure they are now somewhere in your garden, especially if you have a smorgasbord of colorful flowers.

Kathy Van Mullekom

A cool, wet spring in many parts of the country delayed the arrival of hummingbirds, but you can be sure they are now somewhere in your garden, especially if you have a smorgasbord of colorful flowers.

Hummingbirds, aka "hummers," dart, dive and delight you with their fast-flying, acrobatic-like maneuvers as they search for nectar among flowers. They also like feeders filled with plain sugar water.

"I keep two hummingbird feeders in my yard, and have had luck attracting them with several plants: bee balm, salvia, fuchsia and nicotiana," says Marilyn Adair, a gardener in Yorktown, Va.

"I've also had hummers come to pentas on my deck."

Along the East Coast, you'll find only one hummingbird species, a migrant known as the ruby-throated hummer, according to Tim Boucher, a geographer with the Nature Conservancy. Meet and read about Boucher's birding explorations in the Nature Conservancy's magazine.

"The ruby-throated hummingbird migrates from Central America in April, breeds in the East, and leaves in the fall to go back to the tropics," Boucher said.

"As you go south, you get more species — in Arizona for instance, you get up to 18 species — some resident, some migratory.

"In the tropics of South America, there are hundreds of species of hummingbirds, and you can see over 25 species at a single feeder in the Andes of Ecuador."

Ruby-throated hummers and others among their species weigh less than a nickel, and can fit in the palm of your hand, according to Susan Summers, education associate at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News.

They can fly at speeds up to 29 miles per hour, and their body structure allows them to fly forward, backward and to hover.

"They have even been observed to throw a somersault every now and then," Summers said.

Known to be long-distance migrators, they fly 18 to 22 hours, especially when crossing the Gulf of Mexico. To prepare for the journey, they feast on insects and spiders; along the way, nectar gives them quick and easy fuel.

Often, their migration is timed to coincide with flowering plants along their routes; their favorites include native species with red or orange tubular blooms. You can also hang mesh bags of fruits or banana peels to attract fruit flies, another favorite food source of hummers. They also like a source of fresh water, such as a birdbath for sipping and bathing.

Once they arrive at their destination, they get busy starting a family. Females make nests out of leafy materials woven together with spider silk and decorated with lichens, according to Summers. The female lays two bean-size eggs, and raises the hatchlings herself from newborns to young adults within three weeks.

This year, the hummingbird is the focus of the National Wildlife Federation, which encourages residents living in any kind of housing — single-family home, apartment, condo or townhouse — to hang up a hummingbird feeder somewhere outdoors. Setting a pot of colorful flowers next to it also helps entice these beautiful creatures to your space, especially if you don't have a garden.

"No, not only red flowers attract hummers," says Boucher. "Blue flowers such as salvia, lungwort and agapanthus do a great job of attracting hummers.

"Remember, you want to plant a diversity of flowers in your garden — including flowers that bloom at different times of the year — from spring to late fall to provide sustenance for the little gems. Include flowers such as columbines, bee balm, phlox, foxglove, fuchsia, honeysuckle, trumpet creepers and goldenrod."

In addition to nectar, hummers also eat insects for protein and minerals, according to Boucher. They eat all sorts of insects — mosquitoes, aphids, gnats and caterpillars — even spiders.

"Watch them carefully, and you can see them hawking for flying insects — they are very good at catching them in flight," he says.

"People are fascinated with hummers because they are such terrific little fliers. Not only can they hover when feeding, but they are also the only species that can fly backward."

Kathy Van Mullekom is garden/home columnist for the Daily Press in NewportNews, Va. Follow Kathy at Facebook@Kathy Hogan Van Mullekom, Twitter@diggindirt and Pinterest@digginin; her blog can be read at Diggin@RoomandYard.com. Email her at kvanmullekom@aol.com.

We asked readers online about their hummingbirds:Nancy Kozicki of Kresgeville: Yes we love our hummingbirds! We have a feeder in our front window and another in the back. Our hummingbirds appear to be very territorial; not into sharing and we have never seen more than one feeding at the same time! Our hummingbirds bring us much joy. We recently bought our son and daughter-in-law a feeder.Rick Triana of Jackson Township: I have two hummingbird feeders, and they feed all day long from sunrise to sunset. I have seen two at one time at the two feeders. Can’t tell if they are the same two or more than two taking turns at the feeders. I have plenty of pics as well – both at the feeders and at my surveillance cameras – they mistake the infrared lights as an unusual red flower!Danielle Weilamann: We have one feeder. Last year I had to fill it almost weekly. This year, I filled it and it’s still half full. I miss seeing them around.Steve Leibig: I have two feeders and one pair of ruby-throated hummingbirds that visit them every 10-15 minutes. Jodi Durosky Brislin: We don’t have any feeders, but I see several hummingbirds a day. They love our flowers!Max Maxell: I have three feeders, but the most I have seen at one time is two. They are always running one another off. It’s impossible to tell how many are around since they fight.Kathleen O’Rourke Farrelly: We have two feeders and five hummingbirds, which is fewer than years past. We have been feeding them for over 20 years.Drew Doobie Murnock: Have two feeders, but haven’t seen 1 yet this year ... had 2 fighting a few years ago ... they can hit each other quite hard.Mari Quinn: I have eight feeders, and we have two that live in our yard that visit to feed and one or two that pass through. We did have a nesting pair that came for years, but they haven’t come this time. We have flowers everywhere for them ... including salvia ... and a whole field of flowers.Karen Reinert: Have two feeders ,and we’ve seen some come drink and go. The rule is fresh warm sugar water every other day and you will see them. Forget that red stuff.Bernadette Calemmo Sanborn: Two little rippers that entertain me every day fighting over 2 feeders. I hang 1 feeder off my porch for a bird’s eye view!